As part of Maine Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy, schools develop and maintain a school literacy leadership team to support and monitor implementation and communicate to all stakeholders about the model. In order to do this successfully, teams participate in a six-day leadership team retreat that takes place across the first and second years of implementation. The University of Maine supports teams to identify their school’s current strengths and challenges using a framework focusing on elements of effective schools. Based on the results, teams are supported to create ongoing plans for continued school improvement. The retreat supports participants to develop into cohesive and effective teams, and assists them in understanding their important role in guiding the school toward successful implementation.

The team is comprised of approximately six to eight faculty members who represent the range of grade levels and programs offered in the school. The team includes the building principal, the literacy coach, supplemental service providers such as Reading Recovery and Title 1 teachers, and classroom teachers. The primary purpose of this team is to lead the school in improving all aspects of literacy education and to assure that the Maine Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy standards are implemented effectively.

The school-based leadership team has a variety of responsibilities, including, but not limited to:

evaluating the school’s strengths and challenges using framework focusing on elements of effective schools;

setting a plan of action for continued development of the literacy model;

planning for the implementation of the Integrated Instructional Framework;

planning for the initial course and the continued professional development of classroom teachers; and

communicating about Maine Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy with school stakeholders and other interested parties.

The University of Maine supports the school leadership team by supporting teams to convene off-site to assess their progress in implementing the model and continue to develop school plans that support specific school issues and interests. In addition, Maine Partnerships in Comprehensive Literacy faculty are available upon request to assist teams to solve site-specific problems related to implementation and to provide direction when needed.

Image Description: Five teachers examine a word activity around a table